Bleed
by SwiftWhiteWolf
Summary: Set two years before Ganta arrives at DW. Focuses mainly on the Carnival Corpse and the effects of DW on it s prisoners. Some romance, friendship, and comfort. Contains cannibalism, violence and gore. Warning for Yaoi/Yuri pairings and mature themes. Don t read if you have a weak stomach.
1. Prologue:Red Rain

**A/N: I just recently finished watching the anime version of Deadman Wonderland and was inspired to write this. I do not own Deadman Wonderland or any of its characters, sadly. I haven`t read the manga but plan on it as soon as I am able. I am not sure how long this story will be yet, but I wasn`t able to work on any of my other fanfics until I got this idea written down and put up here. I apologize for any errors, I`m going to try to keep this as cannon as possible. (Within reason since this is a fan fiction.) This tale will begin two years before Ganta comes to the DMW. On a side note I will be including a song in each chapter that helped inspire me to write it. Suggestions and creative criticism are, as always welcome. Character thoughts are **_**italicized,**_** narrator commentary is in bold. The prologue is done from a 1****st**** person POV and hint`s at the OC`s behavior and background. It is meant to be short. Later chapters will be much longer and told mostly from 3****rd**** person POV. This story is rated M for gore, violence, language, and mature themes/scenes. Advanced warning for some yaoi/yuri content and graphic content in later chapters. Don`t like it, don`t read it. For those that do and have a backbone, read on. : )**

**[Bleed]**

**[Song: Hunters by The Beauty of Gemina]**

**[Prologue: Red Rain]**

The sound of rain is something most people associate with peace or relaxation. I used to think the same thing, until most of Tokyo was destroyed eight years ago. The giant anomaly now referred to by most as the 'Red Hole' changed my perceptions in more ways than one. When I hear the sound of rain now all I can think of is how the blood and dust rained down on me as I stood at the edge of the huge crater the phenomenon created. I still have nightmares about that day, and the days that followed. They seem like pleasant dreams compared to the other atrocious memories that have joined them since I was sentenced to death row. When I close my eyes, the voices of my inner demons sing me to sleep. Maybe that`s why I wake up screaming most mornings. More and more often the voices have begun to intrude while my eyes are open too. At least they keep me company in my solitary confinement. It`s not like I have much else to occupy my time but think about everything I`ve done wrong that lead up to me being where I am today. If I hadn`t run away from home when I was eight, I wouldn`t have found myself living on the streets stealing and begging to survive. Perhaps then I wouldn`t have caught the interest of the child-trafficking scum in a big city. If I had fought harder against those monsters then I wouldn`t have been sold and shipped off to Japan. I could have just made them kill me. If I had died then I wouldn`t have been around when the Red Hole happened. I wouldn`t have been infected with the Worms that give me my abilities as a Deadman. My powers would never have been awakened, and I wouldn`t have been sent to a maximum security asylum for murder. But, I didn`t think that far ahead. I had no way of possibly knowing what would happen to me, or the gruesome turns my life would take. I know better now, but I still can`t seem to stop myself from choosing the worst option for me when presented with difficult or potentially lethal scenarios. I`m a bad decision maker, one could say. At least I am (ironically) still sane enough to have some sense of judgment, as skewed as it may be. I wonder how much longer that will last.

"Rise and shine, Fíochmhar." One of the guards was rapping loudly at my door. With an irritated sigh I rose from my prone position on the cold cement floor. It was easier said than done, given the straight jacket that served as my primary upper garment. I glared with sunken silver eyes through the small viewing window at the group of guards waiting outside my cell door.

"That`s her? _That`s_ the Kyoto Butcher?" One of the other guards inquired of the first in a disbelieving tone. Asshole Number One nodded affirmatively and unlocked the door. I was led out in to the whitewashed hall without explanation. Asshole Number Two spoke again as he eyed me up and down.

"She doesn`t look so tough, and she`s such a skinny thing." _Well no shit, if you had to eat the crap they feed you here you would drop weight like a fat man drops celery at the sight of a cupcake._ I thought sarcastically, and snarled at him through my bite mask.

"Let`s not piss off the cannibal, Kurano. You`re lucky this is the first _and _last time you`ll have to see Aodhán Fíochmhar. We`re only here to transport her." The armed man caught me staring at him and attempted to suppress a shudder. I cocked my head slightly to the right and continued to look at him.

"A cannibal, huh? What, did she bite her boyfriend`s dick off when she caught him cheating on her?" Number Two asked with an uneasy laugh.

"No. That happened after she came here. One of the other guards thought he`d try to have some fun with her against regulation. She tore his throat out with her teeth. We found her licking the blood off her fingers and humming what I`m told was music from a German band called Rammstein." I grinned at him evilly, recognizing him as the one who had found me and promptly lost his cookies before calling for help that day.

"By Amaterasu, I could believe it with those teeth!" His loud-mouthed companion stated, having caught sight of my elongated and sharply pointed teeth. Number One didn`t reply as he attached a thick chain to the heavy metal collar around my neck and tried to lead me forward. I dug in my heels and growled at him threateningly. I wanted an answer as to what exactly was happening.

"Please don`t give me any trouble. We`ve received an order to transfer you, and if I don`t get you to the shuttle on time I`m in deep shit." He didn`t look at me as he informed me bluntly, "You`re headed to Deadman Wonderland." I narrowed my eyes but went along quietly. I couldn`t help but wonder if the food was better there. I certainly hoped so. It had been a long time since I had a nice, bloody piece of meat.


	2. Gilded Cage

**A/N: I hope you liked the prologue, my apologies if it was a bit short. This chapter is going to be a good bit longer. Review please! Remember the more reviews I get the more I will add. WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A ****LOT**** OF SWEARING.**

**[Bleed]**

**[Song: White knuckle Head Fuck by Caustic]**

**[Chapter One: Gilded Cage]**

"Welcome to Deadman Wonderland. I am Tsunenaga Tamaki, the Chief Warden and Advertising Specialist here. I must say, when I found out about your criminal exploits I became _very_ interested in how you managed to pull them off. I did dome digging, and I will tell you I was intrigued. I hope that by joining our special Deadman Penance Project you will help us put on a good show for the masses." The tall, weasel-faced man greeted as his newest death row inmate sat in the chair across from his desk. Armed guards dressed in strange attire stood to either side of her, their expressions stoic but alert. Tamaki found them extremely boring, like an old video game he had already beaten several times. The young woman on the other side of the desk was a gem, however. The silvery gray eyes sunken in her partly emaciated face burned with what the warden interpreted as homicidal joy. That illusion was helped along by the anti-bite mask and straight jacket she still wore. Fresh from an isolated, high security asylum she hadn`t seen daylight in nearly a year. Straight black hair hung wildly halfway to her waist, obscuring the name patch on the jacket. She licked her lips as he finished speaking, and Tsunenaga got the impression she was hungry. The thought made him chuckle. Perhaps when they had finished fitting her for her new collar and gotten her on the roster for the Carnival Corpse tournament she would take a bite out of whatever opponent she was pitted against. _That _would be sure to gain the spectator`s attention and cause ratings to soar. The more bloodthirsty, the better in his opinion.

_What kind of show? What the fuck is he talking about?_ Aodhán wondered. Out loud she rasped; "What is this 'special project' of yours? And why would you want me involved in it?" Her voice was low and barely above a whisper. She hadn`t used it to speak to another human being in months, as a result of her solitary confinement. She could have talked to herself. It wouldn't have mattered since everyone already thought she was insane, but that wasn`t nearly as entertaining as many people seemed to think. Tsunenaga clapped his hands together childishly and adopted a conspiratorial grin as he explained.

"The Deadman Penance Project refers to the prisoners here working to maintain the amusement park and provide entertainment for the public. I intend to put you to good use as you pay your lifetime debt to society." _Is it just me or is this guy`s lurid grin naturally that annoying?_ The prisoner seemed to be only paying half attention to her welcome committee. She shifted in the squishy chair upon which she perched and let her gaze wander the room. It looked like a child`s room, and she couldn`t help but wonder if this Tamaki guy might`ve been a past inmate at Asahi Asylum. She commented;

"If you expect me to dress up in a clown suit and parade around on stage, you`re going to be sorely disappointed."

"Oh no, that`s far below your caliber. I only expect you to participate in our games and try to survive. Ah! And here is Dr. Takashima to perform you physical examinations. Please take good care of her Rei." Tamaki gave an obnoxiously cheerful laugh as the physician, accompanied by the two guards lead Fiochmhar from the room without further explanation.

"What exactly does he mean by 'participate and try to survive'?" Aodhán asked hoarsely as she was escorted down a series of halls to an elevator.

"The Warden rarely means just what he says, but that`s a topic for another time. For now, I need to examine you and make sure you`re healthy enough to participate in anything at all." The pretty female doctor smiled, and Aodhán couldn`t place why, but the way the other woman said 'examine' struck her oddly. They entered the lift and Takashima ran some sort of ID card through a special slot on the side of the button panel. All of the floor buttons lit up simultaneously and the lift began to descend rapidly. Aodhán was too preoccupied studying the way Takashima appeared to be studying her to notice. She didn`t trust this woman, she decided. There would be no answers forthcoming from the staff as of yet, that much was obvious. Perhaps one of the other prisoners would be more willing to give her an actual explanation.

Rei licked her lips as the lift continued to sink further down. She was looking forward to checking out this new arrival. The woman`s slim body was covered from the chin down by the straight jacket from her old home still, concealing her effectively. Takashima wondered if this new one had any as yet unseen deformities or extensive scars to examine. Either one would be interesting, as long as she wasn`t perfectly plain like the last few patients Rei had had to tolerate. It was so much more fun when there was something wrong with them that she was allowed to poke and prod at. The bite mask was intriguing; the 'good doctor' was keen to see what the teeth of a supposed cannibal looked like. Fiochmhar`s eyes too drew attention. Sunken back from what Rei presumed was malnourishment; they burned with an eerie intensity. _Those would look good sitting on my bedside table floating in a jar._ Takashima decided with a small grin, _but maybe I am getting ahead of myself. Tamaki probably won`t let me cut her open until she`s been through at least one Carnival Corpse…_She pouted slightly but her demeanor cheered a bit when the elevator stopped moving and their quartet disembarked to find themselves in the secretive G-block of the prison. There was a more public medical ward upstairs on the main floor, but the one down here contained all the fun special equipment for examining, torturing, and dissecting Deadmen. Tamaki had recommended in private discussion that when Fiochmhar arrived at Deadman Wonderland she would be examined under restraints. He had informed her that in addition to being a mass murderer, the newcomer did indeed have cannibalistic tendencies as confirmed by her previous warden and security officers. The thought that a creature most people found terrifying would soon be left to Rei`s not-so-tender mercies had the twisted doctor suppressing a shiver of excitement. They entered the medical ward and Takashima instructed the new inmate to hold still while the straight jacket was removed. One guard took care of this duty while the other kept an assault rifle trained on the prisoner.

Once her arms were free, the first thing Aodhán did was flex her wrists and hands; they had grown stiff from disuse. She rolled her shoulders back and an audible popping sound could be heard as her joints creaked in protest. With the straight jacket removed, the female Deadman was clad in a simple pair of loose fitting white paints, soft slippers, and a tight white tee shirt. The outline of her rib cage was partially visible under the shirt. Thin, minute scars laced her bare arms and the visible sections of her neck. Her dark hair hid most parts of her face that the mask didn`t cover, so it was hard to tell if the woman`s visage was as scarred.

"Have a seat on the bed here, Owdhain." Rei told her, badly mispronouncing the foreign name.

"It`s 'Ay-ohd-hann', and my last name is pronounced 'Fee-oak-ma-arr'." The criminal corrected absently as she continued to stretch her newly liberated limbs and walked over to the specified furniture. The barrel of the guard`s gun followed her unwaveringly, and she wiggled her fingers at him playfully.

"Ah…I, see…What kind of a name is that?" Takashima inquired, hesitating on her words as she took in the scars. For having been bound up without the use of her arms for so long, the medic was surprised at how well the slender tone of the other woman`s muscles had held up. She certainly didn`t look very strong, but neither was there extensive atrophy. Rei was only slightly disappointed with that revelation as she retrieved a stethoscope and hung it around her neck. A clipboard sat waiting next to the adjustable hospital bed, with the barest description of medical history from Asahi Asylum already presently attached.

"It`s Ancient Irish. I was born in Ireland." Aodhán smiled pleasantly as she examined her nails. They had grown out to an inch long since she had been put in the jacket.

"Heh. I thought I recognized an accent there. Well, let`s see what we have here." Rei placed the buds of the stethoscope in her ears and held the business end against Aodhán`s chest. What she heard made her pause and smile as she listened to the odd rhythm. "Take a deep breath for me, please. Good, now let it out slowly. Once more then. Oh that`s lovely. Did you know you have a heart murmur?"

"Mmmhmm. Should I have mentioned that? I`m also diabetic, allergic to penicillin and silver, and clinically insane if you weren`t informed." Aodhán replied cheerfully. She kicked her feet slightly back and forth as she sat on the table. Playing idly with a stray strand of her unkempt hair, she seemed fascinated by it. The twenty-one year old appeared to be charmingly absent-minded. Supporting the misled image before had served her well, and she hoped it would do so once again in this new domain.

"Diabetic, really?"

"Sure. That`s our secret though, everyone else thinks I`m a vampire." The madwoman snickered softly.

"Is that so? I wonder why they would think something like that." Takashima stated as she checked her patient`s pulse. She had the vague sensation that she was the one being toyed with here, and it made her a little irritable. _I`m supposed to be the one in control of this little game,_ she thought.

"Because of my teeth. Would you like to see?"

"Actually yes, I need to take your dental imprints after we`re done with this physical." Rei had mixed feelings about sticking her hands near the mouth and teeth of a reported eater of human flesh, but at the same time it was part of procedure and she was also extremely curious. Would they be filed to points? Cracked and full of cavities? Were they white or yellow? Over the next fifteen minutes, she carried out the rest of the physical exam with the complete cooperation of her patient. Both of the security enforcers watched with sharp eyes and weapons at the ready in case of trouble.

"Let`s have a look at those vampire fangs, Aodhán." Rei bit her lip as she carefully removed the anti-bite mask. The new inmate grinned broadly, and the tension in the room rose to an almost palpable level. The teeth themselves appeared to be quite healthy and white. The gums were also pink and free of swelling however, they had receded higher than was typical. Due to this Aodhán's teeth (especially the incisors) looked to be unusually long. The doctor wasn`t immediately sure either if her charge had or hadn`t sharpened those canine teeth, but they were certainly pointy enough to look like a vampire`s. Fiochmhar was currently running the tip of her tongue over the fang-like oral fixtures as if just discovering she had them. Rei was rather pleased with this one. Her bill of health was clean save for the need of some applied diabetes medication. But, she had two very interesting conditions that were just begging to be analyzed. For purely selfish motivations, Takashima hoped this Deadman was put in to the Carnival Corpse and lost quickly. She was tempted to take a piece out of Aodhán right now to study, but she would have to settle for the vial of blood she had withdrawn earlier (for records and typing in case you need an infusion at some point, Takashima had explained). Because Tamaki had not instructed her to reattach the bite mask, the doctor left it off. She entertained the idea _if I leave it off and someone rubs her the wrong way maybe she`ll take a piece out of them for me to play with. _

After the medical procedures were finished and Aodhán was fitted with a shiny new collar she was escorted to a private room and allowed to bath under camera-monitored supervision. She spent a fair amount of time in the shower, scrubbing at days` worth of grime and repeatedly washing her hair. For a psychopath she at least seemed to care a great deal about personal hygiene. _I`m not exactly fond of this place yet, but thus far it`s a vast improvement from where I was. At least I don`t have to wear one of those absurd strait jackets here. _Aodhán thought with a grin as she toweled off her hair. There were real towels! She was pleased that one had been provided for her; along with a variety of other goods in what she had been told was her welcome bag. What thrilled her more than perhaps anything else though was what she found sitting on the counter after she got out. All of her personal effects (with the exclusion of any weaponry and her stiletto heeled boots) that had been kept from her during her incarceration at Asahi had been returned in a small plastic tote. A genuine grin (instead of the customary half-mad one she normally displayed) plastered itself on her face. By her Gods, she could barely recall the last time she`d worn a real pair of jeans. The worn, black denim felt ridiculously comfortable against her skin once donned. A plain black tank top accompanied it. A large, decorative key hung from a ring in the cartilage of one ear, and a silver-colored Yggdrasil pendant adorned her throat. She also found her beat-up leather wallet (complete with expired driver`s license, ID card, and an old playing card inside), a skull cap imprinted with her favorite band`s logo, and a manual provided by Deadman Wonderland in the tote. Fiochmhar hadn`t been expecting to have her clothes back; the last time she`d worn them they had been drenched with other peoples` blood. They had been taken from her along with her freedom after the incident that landed her in the asylum without a trial.

The memory of that day threatened to resurface in Aodhán's mind; she violently and mercilessly shoved it back to some dark corner of her mind. Since that first time Fiochmhar hadn`t used her Branch of Sin. Because she hadn`t read the manual yet, she didn`t even know that that was what the strange ability was called. Curiosity had threatened on multiple occasions to overwhelm the young woman, and she had considered pushing her luck to see if she could do such a thing again. However, a mixture of pain, fear, and confusion had prevented her from doing so thus far. Since being tossed in the asylum Aodhán had rarely gotten in to trouble. The few exceptions to this pattern had seen her fight her way out without using the terrible power she had inherited from the Red Hole incident. So, it was only when Aodhán was sitting in her new cell after yet another escort and perusing the DW Handbook that she found herself in a surprised state of dread.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" She gave a strangled yell and read the page for the third time. The prisoner rubbed her eyes and slapped herself. She closed the book and reopened it, and reread the words again. 'All G-block inmates are required to participate in the Carnival Corpse Tournament. They are expected to utilize their Branch of Sin to do battle. There are no exceptions to this rule. Throwing a Tournament will result in disembowelment. The loser of each Carnival Corpse, if surviving, will be subject to participation in the "Too Bad for the Loser Show".' Nope, the text hadn`t changed. It was still there, in bold black print.

"What the fuck is _what_?" An unseen voice could be heard from the next cell over. The sound surprised the hell out of Aodhán, who had momentarily forgotten she was no longer in solitary confinement.

"This 'Carnival Corpse Tournament'. It`s some kind of joke, right?" Her tone was mocking, disbelieving. It did not betray the eclipsing fear that was suddenly crashing through her veins.

"This must be your first day, huh? Thinking like that will get you killed. Carnival Corpse is no 'joke'. It`s real and damned dangerous. If you want to survive in here you`re going to have to win whatever match you`re placed in. Best to take it seriously because the guy you fight isn`t going to be kidding around." The masculine voice replied in a strange tone. It sounded like whoever was talking was making an effort to be sympathetic, but they couldn`t keep from being angry at the same time.

"Fuck."

"That`s what I said too." The unseen stranger paused and chuckled harshly before continuing; "How much of that manual have you read?"

"Only up until the point where it talks about this sick survival game. I expected to have to work, and I understand the purpose of the collar and the cast points, but this…I can barely wrap my head around it." Aodhán replied uneasily. She wondered how long the guy next to her had been here, fighting in this 'Tournament'. How many matches had he won, or lost? How many people had he killed? The voice returned, and the man offered;

"It takes some getting used to. If you have any questions, I can try to answer them for you. I had it pretty rough when I first got here."

"What is 'Branch of Sin'?"

"That`s what they call our special abilities."

"Like Tae Kwon Do or some shit?"

"No. You seriously don`t know? That means the way we can control our blood because of the Red Hole. Everyone in this cell block can do it. I know that might be a little hard to believe, but it`s true. Each person has a unique Branch of Sin, or blood power. Some people can turn the blood in to solid blades, or armor, others are able to create projectiles or trapping webs. It depends on the person."

"How do you even…? I didn`t know that`s what that was…Fuck. So this was all a setup? Was it just a way to force me to here to fight in a coliseum-style slaughter pit so Deadman Wonderland can make money? These are people`s _lives_ for fuck`s sake." The female swore colorfully in her native tongue. Her unexpected informant was quiet for a while afterword, letting his neighbor absorb the information and attempt to cope before he answered again.

"The only way you learn to control it is through practice. It`s harder for some than others. The healthier you are physically though, the more potent your Branch can become. It might seem cruel to improve yourself just so you can be stronger for whenever your match comes up, but it`s also the only way you`re going to stay alive." The male left it unspoken what they were both now contemplating; that might not seem like much to stick around for to some.

"Okay, or rather, not okay. I think I get it even if the idea is appalling. It hardly seems worth it, fighting to exist to fight another day. I`m not simply going to lay down and die though. Thanks for your help, Mister." Aodhán told him sounding quite sane, if a bit stunned.

"No problem." The unidentified Deadman finished their brief conversation and left her to think over the day`s revelations.

**A/N: And…cliffhanger. Ha! Let`s see how many of you are curious to find out who Aodhán was talking to and read the next chapter. Hint: yes it is one of the main characters from the actual anime series. Also, what did you think of Rei? Further evidence of her sadistic tendencies will present itself in the next few chapters as we head in to the Carnival Corpse and the TBftL Show. Next up; more involvement and interactions with the original anime characters and more violence. –smirk- Afterthought: Let me know if you have an ideas for inspiring music, I`ve been in love with my grunge and techno lately.**


	3. Carnival Games

**[Bleed]**

**[Song: Beyond The Stars by Evan`s Blue]**

**[Chapter Two: Carnival Games]**

Nagi Kengamine lay back on the narrow bed in his temporary cell and idly stared at the ceiling. The Owl had been a resident of G-block for nearly a year now. He`d lost track of how many prisoners he had seen come and go. There were too many for him to recall all the names, but oftentimes he remembered their faces in the nightmares that plagued him. Kengamine hoped that those dark dreams didn`t disturb him tonight, he was already uneasy about staying here. However, he had sufficient motivation to do so even if it made him uncomfortable. The prison`s Director, Tamaki, had offered him a large sum of cast points in exchange for making sure someone stayed alive until Carnival Corpse. That someone was the new Deadman that had come in earlier today, a transfer from another prison, Tamaki had told him. The job seemed simple enough, relatively speaking. Nagi planned to use the cast point to help ensure his wife`s good health. They had just found out two days ago that Hinami was pregnant. A grin stretched across his face as Kengamine pictured the love of his life with a swollen belly carrying their child. Even the darkness of this foul Wonderland couldn`t shade the brightness of his love for both Hinami and their unborn child. He tried not to think about how a child would grow up in Deadman Wonderland. Instead he focused on what their life as a family would be like once they all escaped. It was to these pleasant thoughts that he fell asleep that night. He had discovered a fragile ray of hope to cling to. His neighbor, on the other hand, was quickly losing hers.

In the next cell over, Aodhán couldn`t sleep. She had no happy daydreams to block out the horrors of today. The asylum had been bad enough; solitary confinement had placed her in a box of maddening silence for nearly two years. Before that she had spent the majority of her institution time hiding in the air vents or closets where no one would find her. She had been thrown in to Asahi without a trial, deemed guilty by the overwhelming amount of evidence against her. Even before the Red Hole and Asahi, the Irish-born girl hadn`t lived an easy life. Somehow, she managed to survive relatively unscathed, but not much more than that. The new Deadman didn`t know what it meant to truly flourish. She ran away from home at eight after her mother died, and slipped through the cracks after that. Although the Red Hole had given her a special ability, she hadn`t known about it until nearly five years later. The one and only time she`d used her power, Aodhán hadn`t even known what it was. Almost immediately afterward she was declared a murderer, hunted down, and sent to Asahi Asylum. She had been nineteen at the time. In ways, this 'Deadman Wonderland' seemed like an improvement. _I`m not alone here, at least. Everyone else in this cell block is stuck in the same situation as me. Is it selfish of me to be grateful for that? _She didn`t know what to think. The prospect of having to fight other people horrified her on its own. As a rule, Aodhán tried to avoid conflict whenever she could. The woman knew how to scrap, but she would much rather be the one getting hurt than be the one causing harm to other people. _'Thinking like that will get you killed.' _The man`s words from earlier came back to her, echoing like ghosts in her mind. _What kind of place is this? Hell on earth? It sort of seems that way. But…it`s not as bad as being stuck in my own head. _Aodhán couldn`t help but smirk at that internal reflection. It was so screwed up. This entire situation was royally fucked. She knew something was broken; there was something wrong with her. 'Normal' members of society would say the twenty one year-old was insane. They had, in fact, called her a lunatic. _Perhaps I am crazy, just not in the way they think. I am surprised the Director didn`t decide to name me "Cuckoo Bird". It would have made sense._ Aodhán speculated that Tamaki Tsunenaga didn`t choose the names for his 'special' prisoners based off of their personalities. 'Bloodhawk' didn`t seem to fit. Aodhán had never heard of that avian breed before. The picture and name shown on the inside cover of her manual, next to her prisoner ID number, depicted a medium sized bird with a crimson chest and shoulders, possessed of white and black patterned wings. With nothing better to do, she had finished reading the handbook.

Now, lying on the bed, she had nothing to do but think. Everyone else seemed to be asleep, so she figured it must be fairly late at night (or early in the morning) by now. As hunger gnawed at her insides, Aodhán debated sneaking out to look for something to eat. One of the symptoms of her Diabetes was that she felt a near constant, twisting hunger in her gut. It was worse because the condition hadn`t been properly treated in full at the asylum. Dr. Takashima had given the new Deadman an injection earlier to curb the side effects and get her on the right path. In spite of this though, Aodhán 'Bloodhawk' had already eaten the sole sandwich she was given earlier and drank most of her three bottles of water. Her stomach grumbled loudly once more, and she grimaced. The door to her cell had been left unlocked. According to the manual, prisoners in G-block were free to roam around the block as they pleased before lights out. Strangely, she hadn`t read anything about the consequences of what happened if one was caught outside their cell after that time. They were probably severe. Not wanting to push her luck so soon and risk solitary confinement or worse-dismemberment, she decided against leaving. _What to do? What to do? I`m stuck in this cage by my own apprehensions, like a coward. I need something to distract me from myself, but what? Hmmm. Now that I have my arms back, perhaps…? It`s better than nothing._ Scooting off the stiff bed she`d been given, she knelt on the floor and began to stretch. As her attention narrowed solely to the exercises, the hunger was forgotten. A few hours later she was too tired to notice the muted grumblings coming from her abdomen.

The morning came later than Bloodhawk expected. She awoke and relieved herself in the small, curtained off bathroom area provided. After washing her hands and face she looked in the mirror. Aodhán hadn`t seen her own face in years. The asylum hadn`t allowed her a mirror, as the glass could be broken and turned to potentially harmful endeavors. She didn`t recognize the face staring back at her. Her previously tanned skin had paled with lack of sunlight, and her eyes looked sunken, her cheeks hollow. Once short, her jet-black hair fell well past her shoulder blades now.

"They weren`t kidding when they said you looked like a vampire. I wagered the others were only joking." The male voice from the night before caught her attention. With a quick jerk of her head, Aodhán looked over to see a man standing outside her cell door. He looked to be in his mid- to late twenties and had a full head of curly brown hair. He wore a prisoner`s collar as she did, but he was chuckling quietly.

"May I help you?" Aodhán wondered. With a small frown she walked towards him, her thin arms crossed. His smile did not fade, and neither, apparently did his good humor.

"Actually, I came to help you. My name is Kengamine Nagi or 'Owl' if you prefer. You are 'Bloodhawk', yes?"

"Kengamine. I am called Aodhán." She gave him a suspicious look that was also a hint curious. "What do you want to help me for? And how, exactly?"

"I only figured I would show you the way to the cafeteria. It`s easy to get lost down here." His tone was easy, friendly. The female Deadman didn`t trust it. She told him;

"I have a map, and there are others posted in the halls."

"Have you no wish for company?" Nagi asked, sounding politely disappointed. He stood watching the stranger with his hands in his pockets. _She`s quite stubborn,_ he concluded.

"I`m not much of a people person and never have been. Nearly two years in solitary has dulled what social skills I had. I am hungry though. I suppose if you decide to follow me there I can`t stop you." Aodhán walked out of her cell, closing the door behind her. She brushed past the male without another word and began walking slowly down the hall. Nagi stood still for a moment, trying not to snicker at her abruptness. It was obvious the girl didn`t trust him, and perhaps she was a bit rude. But it was equally apparent that she was in desperate need of human contact and too proud to admit it. He rolled his eyes at the back of her head and easily caught up to walk next to her, carefully avoiding her immediate personal space.

"So, do you know how to use you Cast Card yet?" Owl curiously tried to resume their earlier conversation. To his left Aodhán kept an even, steady pace. Her hands were stuffed in to the pockets of her battered black jeans as if to keep herself from touching anything. Nagi wondered at that until he noticed the wallet tucked in to the front pocket of her pants. Did she think he was going to try to rob her?

"I read the book. It`s not a difficult concept." She stated evasively. Aodhán didn`t look at him when she spoke. Her hair was a straight, dark curtain between them. Kengamine studied her profile carefully. She sure had a prickly attitude. He frowned and wished he could be spending the morning with his sweet Hinami instead. His wife likely wasn`t awake yet though, and he couldn`t very well afford to miss the opportunity Tamaki`s offer had presented them with. He asked bluntly;

"You aren`t much of a morning person, are you?"

"I told you I don`t have much skill or interest in social graces." It was the most polite way she could think of to tell him to leave her alone. The response wasn`t based off any personal prejudice. More simply, she Aodhán didn't know who this guy was, and wasn`t looking to make friends. She thought; _If what`s in that handbook is true, it`s better not to make friends. I would just end up having to hurt them anyways. I hate the idea of harming anyone I care about, so I`ll make a point not to care about anyone but myself. _

"Ouch. You`ll go crazy in here if you push everyone away like that." He pointed out teasingly. The curt response just rolled off his shoulders and he took it all in stride. A few clipped words weren`t enough to effectively wear out Nagi`s deep reservoir of patience. He was a bit surprised when she actually glanced at him and just the corner of her mouth turned up in a slight smirk.

"Didn`t you hear? I transferred in from a maximum security asylum in Kyoto."

"That was you? No, I had no idea." The man deadpanned with a careless smile. On the outside he gave the appearance of not caring. On the inside, he was beginning to wonder what he had gotten himself in to. He was glad now that Hinami was still sleeping and that they would likely not run in to her. Aodhán turned her attention to the set of double doors in front of which they had arrived. A plain steel name plate on the doors denoted this to be the 'Cafeteria'. She opened the door wide and stepped through. It swung slowly enough that Nagi did not have to push it again to admit himself. The mess hall consisted of a large tiled room done in neutral beige and white. There were tables of varying sizes scattered about, although they were all bolted to the floor. The chairs were hard plastic and metal, most of they did not have occupants at the moment. A plain circular clock hung on one wall and there were several vending machines next to the door. A long bar ran along one side of the room displaying a huge selection of foods ranging from cup ramen to porterhouse steak with sautéed mushrooms. Aodhán looked around her in shock.

"This vending machine sells alcohol." She said it in such as way that it sounded uncertain. Kengamine laughed at her expression as she fought to keep it from looking too surprised. He responded;

"Certainly. Since this is a privately owned prison, you can get pretty much anything here as long as you have the cast points for it. They sell cigarettes too." His last statement sounded somewhat put-off. Nagi had been trying to quit for some time. Although he had never been a heavy smoker, he had decided to go cold turkey after finding out his wife was pregnant. (He didn`t want to expose their unborn child to the harmful chemicals in the smoke.) 'Bloodhawk' was staring at him with one dark eyebrow raised. She had caught the odd trace of irritation in his voice, faint as it was. Aodhán made no comment, and her stomach chose that moment to growl rather loudly. One of her hands left her pocket and went to the source of the disturbance, almost as if to hide the noise. Nagi chuckled at her blank expression and she shrugged.

"Get something to eat before it starts roaring too." The Owl suggested, and moved past her to the buffet-style spread. It was set up much like a high school lunch room; one chose their food as they went and paid for it at the end. Everything was packed in tubs or specially vacuum sealed to prevent a prisoner from eating anything before they purchased it. Once they had both made their selections and paid for them Owl and Bloodhawk sat down to eat. That is, he sat at a table as he normally did and she pulled the chair across from him so that it`s back was up against the wall and she could see the main door. The rest of their breakfast passed with Nagi pointing out things around the room and making an attempt at holding a conversation. More often than not Bloodhawk just listened instead of replying. She was more interested in watching the people who came and went than talking with anyone. Soon enough both of their plates were cleared.

Aodhán strode over to the digital display her companion had pointed out earlier. It advertised the participants for this week`s Carnival Corpse. The inmate scanned through the listings and found today`s. Her pale eyes widened considerably upon finding it.

"Hummingbird vs. Bloodhawk at 12:00 noon. Am I reading this right?" She wondered out loud. An unfamiliar female voice came from off to her left. Aodhán noticed that Nagi had walked over as well and a slender woman with dark skin was standing next to him. The stranger said;

"Yep. Looks like we`ll get to see two new Deadmen fight today. Hummingbird just got here last week, I`ve met her already. I`m not sure who 'Bloodhawk' is though."

"That`s her you`re talking to, Koshio." Nagi informed his friend with an amused glint to his eyes. Her eyes widened slightly and she held out her hand to the new inmate.

"My bad. I`m Koshio Karako, the Game Fowl."

"Aodhán." Aodhán responded and bowed slightly, not taking her eyes off the pretty woman or shaking her hand. The gesture was old fashioned and a bit formal. Fiochmhar was nowhere near comfortable enough to want to shake hands with anyone in G-block. They were all criminals with life sentences, as far as she knew. Usually that denoted a serious offense, such as murder. Ireland`s daughter wasn`t too keen on shaking hands with convicted killers. She was one herself, after all, and didn`t expect others to shake her hand. So far, everyone she had met had acted more or less completely normal. The sincerity of their behavior had her on edge.

"Oh. So, you must be the female Deadman that was brought in yesterday afternoon. That`s rough, getting thrown in to Carnival Corpse right away." 'Karako' seemed to feel bad for her, rather than being offended when she didn`t return her offered greeting. If there was one thing that tried Aodhán`s patience, it was pity. Her face went blank and her eyes looked more steely than silvery now.

"That`s the way things work around here though, right? I look at it as more of an opportunity to make some easy money. All I have to do is bleed." She crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke. Although her mind was roaring with panic, she managed to disguise it. Instead the fear was displayed as a sort of mad smile. _I will not show weakness. If these 'Deadmen' sense vulnerability, they`re going to tear me apart. I`m not keen on getting in to any fights, but I`m not going to be anyone`s 'prison bitch' either._

"Ah, I see. You`re one of those 'rip off the band-aid' types, huh? I didn`t expect that. To be honest, you look kind of fragile. Then again, so does Hummingbird and she`s a complete psychopath according to Crow. He`s pretty messed up too though…"

"It`s lucky you don`t have to fight _him_ for your first Carnival Corpse. He actually enjoys the battles. So far, Crow hasn`t lost a single match. He`s been here for almost a year now." Nagi interjected. In their own strange way, both Owl and the Game Fowl seemed to be giving her the best kind of heads-up they could. Aodhán wondered why until Karako chimed back in;

"What`s your Branch of Sin, anyways?"

"Thanks for the warning. Watch the show and you`ll find out. I have some thinking to do." The newly dubbed 'Bloodhawk' told them mysteriously. It seemed that Koshio and Kengamine were trying to feel her out, to get a better sense of her vulnerabilities. Paranoia at its finest, as it was. She glanced at the clock. It read 10:36 am. Just under an hour and a half left before her first Carnival Corpse.

The thought horrified her, and Fiochmhar retreated to her cell to think. She shut and locked the door when she got there. She noticed there was a privacy curtain hanging in one corner now, and pulled that across as well. The hard bed was a small comfort when she sank down on to it, shaking. Her hands were trembling, and her pulse was probably beating faster than was strictly healthy. In a short time, this Deadman would be physically fighting for her survival on live television. There would be pain and bloodshed, she was sure. But who`s and how much would suffice to please the perverted crowds Aodhán could only guess at. _What am I supposed to do? I can`t forfeit, they`ll eviscerate me! Damn it. This is sick and wrong!_ Her hands came up to frame her head and buried themselves in her hair. She tugged at the roots slightly, hoping subconsciously that the pain would help purge her rising panic and sharpen her focus. _Murder is sick and wrong, you know. You didn`t seem to mind back then…_A voice spoke inside her head. Was that the voice of her conscious? Perhaps, or perhaps not. It wasn`t unusual for Aodhán to hear voices in her head, she had been locked up in an asylum, after all. She hadn`t started out crazy (she didn`t think), but that didn`t mean she`d gotten out unscathed. Life had a disturbing habit of chipping away at one`s sanity when it was full of trauma. Aodhán didn`t feel sorry for herself. That would have pissed her off. She also didn`t know what she was going to do though. If she fought half-heartedly, she would probably die. At the same time, her best wasn`t likely going to be good enough. The inmate cringed. She would only stand a chance if this 'Hummingbird' girl was as inexperienced using her powers as Aodhán was. _I don`t stand an ice cube`s chance in hell. _The Deadman spent the majority of the next hour trying to remember everything she could about the one and only time she`d used her special 'gift'. Try as she might, the only things Aodhán could recall were that 1.) It had been frigid that day in Kyoto, and 2.) The snow around her had turned red with blood. It seemed her mind was protecting her from herself. She thought it wise to at least relieve herself before the match and did so. As she came out of the small partitioned off bathroom area, someone began rapping on the bars of her cell. Scowling, she pulled the curtain back to reveal an escort of eight heavily armed guards in what looked to her like modified hazmat suits.

"Come with us." One of the clone wannabes ordered in a muffled voice. Held at gunpoint and without much choice, Aodhán exited her cell and allowed them to escort her down a series of halls and in to what looked like a fancy lift. Too late she realized it was actually a cage when her escorts hadn`t joined her. Fiochmhar became immediately disoriented and stumbled against the bars as the cage started descending without warning. A disembodied voice began speaking; she recognized it as Tsunenaga Tamaki`s. His introduction set her stomach to roiling with hate.

"**Welcome ladies and gentlemen to another edition of Carnival Corpse! We are pleased to present to you two of our newest editions! Both of these lovely young ladies are fierce, never before seen Deadmen! In the golden cage we have little Hummingbird. This unassuming youth was sent here for murdering her dear old dad. Can you believe that, folks?"** The girl standing in the other cage couldn`t have been older than twelve or thirteen, Aodhán thought with a sense of revolted shock. She was barely a teenager! 'Hummingbird' looked far too fragile to have harmed anyone. _That`s probably what she`s going for, to throw me off guard, _the older female thought. She had to push herself to remember that everyone in here was some kind of criminal. They were murderers (like her), or rapists, or pedophiles, or…well they were all 'bad' people. They had wrought terrible evil, just as she had. Aodhán watched as Hummingbird stepped out of her cage. She wore a pale yellow dress that only made her look more childlike. _All she`s missing is a teddy bear dangling from one of her hands. _Tamaki`s girlish tone interrupted her thoughts one more;

"**In the silver cage; this ghoulish gal is also a cold-blooded killer. Rumor has it she likes the taste of human flesh too. Dear audience; Bloodhawk!" **_He sounds proud, the bastard. I want to vomit. Then I want to shove that microphone down his throat. _The door to her 'birdcage' clicked open. Her pulse sped up as she looked around. The arena was barren except for a single large tree, the combatants, and their cages. Concrete walls surrounded them, twenty feet high. Beyond that there was only darkness, in which strange virtual cartoon faces were projected with names underneath them. _It`s time to go, 'Bloodhawk'. Best put on a good show so they don`t decide to dissect me. _It was with those thoughts in mind that Aodhán walked out on to the battleground. Hummingbird looked at her with a pout and tried for the scared little girl act;

"Please, Miss, I don`t want to fight you. I`ve never really killed anyone! Those accusations were false! I`m innocent." She actually managed to summon tears to the corner of her eyes. The sight threw her opponent, but Fiochmhar was not fooled. She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other as bile threatened to rise in her throat. She`s made it about a quarter of the way across the space between them when Minatsuki 'Hummingbird' Takami realized her ploy wasn`t working. Her pale gaze widened and her disposition altered from helpless to indignant.

"You don`t believe me, do you? Well, I promise, I`ve never killed anyone…that didn`t deserve it!" On that last phrase, Minatsuki smirked evilly. Her entire countenance changed. She raised her hands to the sides of her face as she spoke. Now, they had disappeared in to her long brown hair. Aodhán had a moment to wonder what the girl was doing before Hummingbird gave a sort of triumphant shriek and blood spattered around her. It took a second for her opponent to realize the Takami had ripped out her earrings and was using her Branch of Sin. Thick, crimson fluid floated around Minatsuki`s head, writhing in a way that seemed almost vulgar. Bloodhawk stopped moving and stared at the other girl. How did she control it so smoothly? Why did 'Hummingbird' look like she was enjoying this? A mixture of anger and disbelief caused Aodhán to speak. The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them;

"I don`t care if you think you`re 'innocent' or not. It`s you or me, and I don`t give enough of a damn about you to be your sacrificial lamb."

"Oh-ho! That face, you look like a little Barbie! Empty eyes and a perfect, plastic, whore`s body! I always did like playing with dolls, and popping off their heads. Whip wing!" Minatsuki responded with a sadistic smile. A tendril separated itself from the mass of blood floating around her head and lashed out suddenly at Aodhán.

"**That was a narrow dodge by Bloodhawk. I wonder how she`ll respond to Hummingbird`s attack?"** Tamaki cut in again, it seemed he was going to commentate throughout the match. He sounded obscenely cheerful about the prospect. Somewhere in the background, other voices could be heard making comments, but neither contestant heard what was said. Bloodhawk rose to her feet. She`d tumbled sideways to avoid the blow. Her heart was thundering like a runaway freight train in her chest. Before she could even think about launching a counter attack, Hummingbird sent another bloody whip at her. Fiochmhar tried to dodge out of the way, but wasn`t fast enough for the attack to miss her completely. A sharp pain spread from her ankle as the whip sliced through her jeans and in to her flesh. The wounded Deadman hissed in pain as she dove forward. Another whip soared towards Aodhán in her peripheral vision. She tucked and rolled, surprisingly agile. The sanguine weapon missed, and she was within twenty feet of Hummingbird now. The closer she got, the harder the bloody flails were to dodge, but Aodhán knew, Minatsuki could only lose so much blood. Being larger and more physically mature, Bloodhawk had something of a small advantage. That window was slimming though. The numerous minor wounds she had incurred thus far were wearing quickly on her stamina.

"**Hummingbird is relentless! See the speed with which she assaults her foe? Could this have been how her father went, the poor bastard?"**

"Hahaha! Not even! That filthy, lying pig suffered! I took my time with him." Minatsuki laughed wickedly. She thought she was winning, and it was making her cocky. While she had two visible whip wings left and was distracted talking back to the announcer, Aodhán moved in closer. One moment she was limping towards Hummingbird, and the next she had broken in to a run, much faster than before. Two could play the game of deception. Aodhán`s fist slammed in to the younger female`s stomach. It was enough to double Hummingbird over, and as she hunched in pain her opponent brought her knee up in to the other girl`s face. Minatsuki cried out in shock as she felt her nose break. As was so often the case with sadists, she didn`t enjoy pain forced on herself. Hummingbird stumbled backwards gagging for breath. Both of her remaining whip wings lashed out and latched on to Bloodhawk`s forearms. They pulled at her, trying to drag her down. Aodhán resisted, although she slid forward and was forced to one knee as she did so. The tendrils snaked up her arms and wrapped around her throat.

"Who hits a little girl? You bitch! Let`s see how tough you are while I`m choking the life out of you!" The adolescent panted as she regained her breath. Bloodhawk struggled against the suffocating bonds. Burgundy life force dripped from her wounds. It collected on the cold floor in small puddles before slowly spreading out.

"Look there! What`s happening to the ground?" One of the spectators pointed out in surprise.

"**Hmm. It seems that Bloodhawk wasn`t avoiding using her Deadman abilities as much as we thought. What does this strange pattern mean?"** The warden had observed what Aodhán herself had yet to realize. Her hidden powers reappeared on their own. All around the area where Bloodhawk and Hummingbird struggled, the former`s darker blood had begun spreading out in an intricate pattern. Against the pale concrete a red snowflake design could be seen as the last few lines connected with each other. Aodhán gasped for air, feeling her body begin to chill.

"What are you trying to pull, you shriveled old hag? You can`t win, so just give up!" Takami yelled shrilly. The shallow breaths her elder released could now be seen as visible steam. With a desperate effort and a snarl Aodhán managed to tear the cords free from around her neck. She spat blood on the ground from where her teeth had cut her tongue in the conflict. Her wounded leg would no longer support her weight. _Fine. I`ll kick her ass while sitting on mine then,_ the twenty one year-old thought. While she had been struggling to breathe she remembered what her mind had tried to forget. It all came back, how she had been dying then too from lack of oxygen. The feel of someone`s hands wrapped around her neck was a tactile trigger. She had killed that man. She had killed everyone around them too, including all of his allies that were waiting their turn. In that moment, Aodhán didn`t regret a thing.

"Age before beauty, asshole." Bloodhawk growled as the crystalline crimson arrangement exploded upwards in to solid snowflakes. At its heart sat the creator. A few feet away Minatsuki had gotten to her feet and was laughing.

"What`s this? _Snow?_ That`s your special ability, to make snow?! Ahahaha-" The tinkling, mad noise was cut off abruptly. Aodhán thought; _Scarlet Snow. Freezing Spiral. _The snowflakes hesitated in mid-air. Hundreds of droplet sized flakes became razor sharp and began to revolve around both Deadmen. Suddenly they seemed to implode on Hummingbird. A scream of agony arose from the center of the mass as the teenager was sliced from every direction, thousands of times. The scarlet spiral vanished in to a sort of red mist that dissipated around Minatsuki. She fell to the ground, unable to speak for pain and injuries` restrictions. Her own blood pooled out on the ground before her; the match was over. Aodhán had survived her first Carnival Corpse. She flipped the bird The Bird. Tamaki cackled with excitement over the loudspeaker.

"**Ladies and gentlemen! It looks like this Carnival Corpse goes to Bloodhawk! What a truly unique and unprecedented display! Those of you that bet on her may collect your rewards now. Congratulations to our victor! Don`t forget to stay tuned, in twenty minutes the newest edition of the 'Too Bad For the Loser' Show will be taking place." **Said winner sat back with her legs stretched out in front of her. Aodhán`s arms supported her weight as she fought to keep her head from spinning and her stomach from rebelling. For once she wasn`t hungry. Instead, a bone-deep weariness was overtaking her.

A hidden panel opened in the floor as the cameras cut to a commercial break and the projected faces of the viewers vanished. From the secret area Dr. Takashima emerged, along with two guards and a stretcher. The guards loaded the barely conscious Hummingbird on the gurney. Rei walked over to where the other Deadman was sitting with her eyes closed, drenched in blood. Some of the liquid was her own, since she was certainly not without wounds.

"That was quite the battle. You have a fascinating ability, Bloodhawk."

"Shut. Up." Aodhán spat at the doctor. Her eyes opened, they were frigid silver and narrowed with hatred. She pushed herself up and got her legs under her. Standing was an arduous process because of her injured leg, but she finally managed it.

"That`s not a very nice way to talk to the person who`s got your prizes waiting, now is it? Hmm. I didn`t think so." Takashima smiled prettily at her. Watching Aodhán fight and bleed all over the place had turned the aspiring butcher on. Not only that, but now Rei had a brand new plaything! She laughed a low seductive purr, and Bloodhawk looked at her with an expression of disgust. The Deadman wanted to snap at the 'medical professional'. Better yet she wanted to snap her slender neck. But no, that would be like signing her own death warrant. The Carnival game had left her wondering if her life was even worth hanging on to at this point. What kind of existence was this? Before she could think too deeply on it, Rei was ushering her towards the door in the floor, through which Minatsuki and the sentinels had already gone. Aodhán limped her way along, barely keeping her balance. She refused the hand that Takashima provided her. Twenty minutes later, Bloodhawk found herself sitting in the medical ward while a nurse she didn`t recognize was cleaning and bandaging her up. There was a television next to the bed, broadcasting the 'Too Bad' show, and Aodhán forced herself to watch. What was happening to Hummingbird was _her_ fault. She couldn`t pretend it wasn`t, although she wished she could. The bird-themed slot machine landed on 'kidney'. Without administering any anesthetic drugs to her patient, Rei just began cutting in to the poor girl with a scalpel. Hummingbird screeched until she passed out, which luckily didn`t take long. Aodhán fell off her chair trying to get to a trash can and ended up vomiting on the floor instead. She emptied her stomach that way, shaking like a leaf as her body betrayed her utter horror. _I should have just killed her; it would have been a mercy! It`s my fault, my fault, my fault…oh gods what have I done?! My fault, all my fault, all my fault! _Her brain screamed itself in to silence after almost an hour, during which the nurse had shut off the program and called for a cleanup crew. Bloodhawk was heavily sedated and given a bed in the hospital that night. She was put under observation to prevent any suicide attempts just in case. Armed sentries were placed outside the door to keep watch and to intercept the Deadman if she tried to leave. Aodhán didn`t know it, but both she and Hummingbird would make it through the night alive.

**A/N: In case you were wondering, no, Scar Chain has not been formed yet. I used a random name for Nagi`s wife because I couldn't seem to find her actual name in the series. If anyone knows, please tell me so I can correct it. I hope you liked this chapter, it`s the longest one for this story so far. I had a difficult time writing the battle scene because I couldn`t find proper inspirational music : ( Anyway, let me know what you think so far. Preview for next chapter: Minatsuki and Aodhán meet up for the first time since the Carnival Corpse and yes Crow will **_**finally**_** make an appearance. *dodges stampede of Crow fans* I will tell you now that I am **_**not**_** planning on pairing him with my OC. However, since I like the character, he`s going to pop up a lot. **


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